


Sympathy for the Devil

by MissInformed_Angel



Category: Original Work
Genre: Accidental Plot, Blood, Blood and Violence, Crossroads Deals & Demons, Dark Fairy Tale Elements, Dark Magic, Death, Demon Deals, Fairy Tale Elements, Female Character of Color, Fractured Fairy Tale, Kidnapping, Magic, Magic-Users, Murder, New Orleans, New York, No Sex, No Smut, Original Character Death(s), Pre-Series, Rumplestiltskin Elements, Series, Unplanned Pregnancy, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 15:28:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9189398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissInformed_Angel/pseuds/MissInformed_Angel
Summary: Janine Simmons was never good at magic. In fact, she's positively hates it. But she wants power, craves it like a drug and will do anything to get it. So what's the next logical step? Summon a demon, of course. It'll be easy. A few years and power for her soul, no biggie, right?---------------In which a woman believes that she possesses all the facts, and is horribly, terribly wrong.---------------Directly inspired by RumpelstiltskinTitle inspired by 'Sympathy for the Devil' by the Rolling Stones





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!!!!! This my first attempt at a one-shot on the site. I've written original pieces before, but for fun and to show to my family. This was actually a present to them, to show off a lot of my own work. Thanks, for giving it a chance and I hope you enjoy!

_Hell’s Kitchen, New York City_

 

Tariq smirks down at the woman. To a human she might be gorgeous. But for a demon like him, she just barely beats a lower level succubus. She had short brown hair and tan skin, with big, light brown eyes. Tall, maybe enough for six feet. Her chest and hips left much to be desired, but she makes up for it with her long legs and nimble fingers.

 

She’s arrogant, Tariq realizes. Overly so. It’s her fatal flaw. It’ll be her downfall. The woman cocks a hand on her hip and smirks. “Let’s make a deal.”

 

Tariq offers his owns smirk, but his looks more like a sneer. “Why would I make a deal with you? Get a crossroads demon for that.”

 

“I don’t think so. I’m a con artist. I don’t settle for a mediocre score. I always go for the best… and honey, you’re it.”

 

Tariq growls low and menacing, stepping forward to get to the woman. Her eyes widen and the cocky smile falters. A touch of fear reaches her eyes. The demon marches towards her before being slamming into an invisible barrier. The force knocks him on his back and brings him face-to-face with the white demon seal on the ceiling.

 

“You, woman,” Tariq chuckles under his breath as he stands, grunting, “are smarter than what I gave you credit for. I won’t make the mistake of underestimating you again. Tell me, what is your name?”

 

Her smile is triumphant. “Janine Simmons.”

 

“And what do you want from me, Janine Simmons?”

 

The bitter look on her face was expected, as was how the smile turned cynical. She gestures around her to the rotting apartment. The fan and light fixtures are broken, the room barely lit. There is hardly any furniture, and what little there is old, thin and beyond repair.

 

“Isn’t it clear? I want what everyone wants. Power. More than what I know what to do with. I want it all. And unlike some people, I am willing to do anything to get there. I was meant to be one of the most powerful people in the world. I’m not settling for anything less. And I always get what I want.”

 

The demon tilts his head, a curious look crossing his features. “You have a way with words, Ms. Simmons. Given the chance, you would make a great demon.”

 

“Well aren’t you sweet.”

 

“But this deal; it’s is only as good as its tribute. I need something in return.”

 

Janine spreads her arms and looks down at herself. “Fifty years and all the glory I want. In return… you can keep my soul. That seems fair, doesn’t it?”

 

Tariq stares at her blankly. After a moment, he crosses his arms and hangs his head down. His shoulders begin to shake before his head is thrown back in laughter. Janine smiles, a bit confused by the demon’s reaction. “What’s so funny?”

 

“No one in Hell would make a deal like that.” Tariq continues to laugh loudly, it sounding like the rumble of an earthquake. In fact, it begins to shake the walls. Janine puts her hands on her hips in unmasked displeasure. Her pretty features are marred by a frown.

 

“Your soul isn’t pure,” Tariq explains. “Far from it, Ms. Simmons.”

 

“I thought your kind feed on any kind of soul.”

 

“What joy is there in corrupting the already corrupted? It’s like trying to kill a dead man.”

 

“But-”

 

“There’s no doubt about it. Your heart is almost as black as mine.” Tariq’s eyes narrow as he stares at the woman’s form. Janine is beautiful; of that he is certain. But beauty doesn’t mean innocence. In most cases it’s quite the opposite. Janine is no exception. Her name could be synonymous with cruel, ambitious, liar. Tariq has only made a deal with one other human with a soul like his, and he had taken theirs long ago on the ides of March.

 

“You’ve earned my respect for even having the strength and gall to summon me. Don’t see that nowadays in common humans like you” He ignores her affronted look, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you managed to exorcise me once you have what you want. But I won’t make a deal if I don’t receive anything in return. You must-”

 

The demon freezes suddenly. Not a muscle moves. Janine wonders if he’s stopped breathing as well, he’s so still. Not that he has to, being immortal and such. Then she notices how his intense staring gaze has settled on her stomach. The woman looks down at where his eyes bore into, and for the first time since she’d summoned him, she feels uncomfortable. Tariq mumbles something under his breath. She placed a protective hand over her flat belly. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

 

“Break the circle.”

 

“Are you crazy? Give you free will to kill me? No thank you.”

 

“I swear on my immortal life I will not harm you. Break the circle and let me out.”

 

“No.”

 

“BREAK THE CIRCLE, WOMAN!”

 

Janine trips over her feet in her attempt to get away. The walls and floors shake violently. Dust descends from the ceiling. Drywall and plaster break off and crumbles when it hits the dirty hardwood floors, making more holes appear and paint mash to powder. The demon smiles at the woman’s fear.

 

A loud crack rings over their heads. Tariq’s grin grows when he looks up. A jagged tear runs diagonally through the demon seal, its perfect white lines shattered. The barrier that had kept Janine safe has been breached.

 

Tariq takes a hesitant step forward. When the unseen force doesn’t repel him, he takes another, more confident step. His eyes burn amber, zeroing in on Janine’s stomach, right below her navel. Said woman cowers in the corner she'd backed herself into. She opens her mouth to scream, but the sound doesn’t come. Heart beating fast, beads of sweat appear on her caramel colored skin.

 

A small gasp escapes her lips when Tariq crouches down and pull up her shirt to expose her soft belly. He places a hand on the skin, caressing it almost reverently. With a shaky breath, he meets her eyes. A surprising mix of shock, worship, and love rests in the warm yellow depths. He asks, “Do you know what this is?”

 

Janine is too afraid to think of what he is saying, never mind speaking. Tariq doesn’t seem to notice, as he continues. “This… purity? This power… this _life_ that you’re carrying. Do you know how important she is? You wonderful, naive woman.” Tariq leans in and presses a chaste kiss to her forehead. “You have a deal.”

 

That knocks Janine out of her stupor, “W-w-what? But you-”

 

“You are nowhere near perfect. However, you have something more precious to me than a thousand pure souls.”

 

Almost hesitantly, he stands and backs away. The smirk on his face returns, fueled with new found information. “Keep your soul. And the fame, and money. The power, too. I’ll return for the child when she comes of age to collect what’s mine.”

 

 

The terrified attempts to stand only to fall due to her unstable knees. She reaches out, making a run at stopping the demon, fingers falling short of the end of his trench coat. “Wait! Please, stop. What did you mean about-” she chokes on the air unable to speak the words, “About a-”

 

“Child?” Amber eyes practically glow with pleasure. ”Not _a_ child. _The child_. One of the most powerful beings in the world. You’re pregnant, Ms. Simmons. And I’m returning for her when the time comes.”

 

And with that, Tariq vanishes, leaving behind a distraught Janine screaming at the top of her lungs.

 

* * *

 

_New Orleans_

 

Janine’s blood runs cold when she sees the bodies. One night guard’s throat is ripped open. The other two have their chests split in half, pink intestines still warm on the cold tile floor.  The female guard had managed to pull her gun, but not quick enough to pull the trigger. Her pale, dead fingers are splattered with wet blood. Their mouths are agape in mute screams. Their last sight was the ugly white-gray ceiling, dull eyes drained of life.

 

Janine pries the gun from the guard’s waxy fingers. She’d handled a gun before. Growing up a human in a supernatural family, it was a must. She has no natural magic of her own to defend herself (up until this point, summoning Tariq is the most impressive thing she’s managed alone, and she had called up all of her favors for to get the supplies- even then she wasn’t able to hold him but for a moment.) So yes, she is well versed in how to handle a gun. Carefully avoiding the blood, she steps over the corpses and opens the door to her hospital room. Once she is inside, she shuts it behind her.

 

Tariq stands in front of the window. The demon looks as good as he did the day she met him. If he were human, she would assume he was from the Middle East. His silky black hair (still shoulder length) is pulled into a ponytail and his skin is tan, a shade darker than her own. He’s tall, excessively so, seven feet, muscular frame visible under his dark clothing. He’s dressed completely in black, from his trench coat to his t-shirt and jeans, boots included. But the most surreal part about him isn’t his supermodel looks. It’s the baby with skin the color of milk chocolate wrapped in a pale yellow blanket that he holds gently.

 

He doesn’t seem to notice her, instead focusing on the child in his arms. _My child_ , Janine realizes. He’s come to ensure the deal. She lowers the gun a little, not completely trusting the demon. Janine lets a breath loose (Why had she been holding it? Tariq is harmless now. Right?), she steps forward. “Hello, Tariq.”

 

“Ssh.” The ‘s’ is long, drawn out in a quiet manner. A smile dances on his lips and Janine can’t help but notice that it’s not the smirk she is accustomed to. It’s a real grin. An actual smile of joy and happiness. His amber eyes simmer with absolute adoration and love. Shock bleaches the woman’s pretty face. She’s never seen him look so… soft. So vulnerable.

 

“Name,” the demon demands. A little hardness creeps into his smooth baritone voice as if he’s annoyed by her interruption. Envy nudges at the back of her mind. Why is he so affected by a child? Janine is prettier, ruthless... everything a female demon could be (if ever given the chance). And he’s annoyed by _her_?  She shuffles her feet, instead of answering.

 

 

“Name,” he insists, voice definitely having an edge to it.

 

“I- we… um… it-”

 

Tariq looks up, eyes as cold as stained glass. On perfect eyebrow arches to the sky. “It? You don’t know the gender of your own child?”

 

“That thing is not my child,” She spits. It’s the one thing Janine is certain about. The only thing these days. Her defenses are up. Nerves on high alert. Tariq just gives a humorless, breathy laugh and looks down at the child with overwhelming emotion.  She steps closer, pointing an accusing finger at the yellow and brown bundle. “And if you think even for a moment-”

 

“One more word and I’ll rip out your tongue and make you eat it.”

 

Janine’s jaw drops in utter horror. Then snaps it closed, bottom teeth knocking against the top. Her fingers grip the gun a little tighter. Tariq looks to be on the verge of laughing as she realizes her mistake. What good would a gun do against him? The only way to do get rid of a demon is to exorcise it.

 

“So you don’t have a name, do you, little girl?” He stresses the last word for Janine’s benefit. The baby gurgles and a small brown hand lifts out of the yellow cotton. It reaches towards Tariq’s face, stopped by his much larger hand. Long fingers meet tiny ones, rough calloused palms grasped by soft gentle skin.

 

“Andromeda,” Tariq coos. “That’s what I’ll call you. Fitting, isn’t it?” The sight might have been hilarious to Janine- a demon getting all gooey over an infant. Except it is positively terrifying. He presses the newborn’s fragile body to his, the baby nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.

 

“She’s so pure, so perfect. This little girl has more power than a horde of demons. Rarer than a phoenix. She’ll be more beautiful than the setting sun. She’s a miracle.” Tariq’s smile turns wistful and angry as his amber eyes lift. The slight tremors running down the woman's spine magnify. “And to think she wouldn’t be here if I had let you have your way. You betrayed me, Ms. Simmons. You tried to get rid of her when my end of the deal was met. Luckily I caught you before you even set foot inside that damn clinic. You selfish, selfish woman.”

 

“But she’s here now. So take her and leave.” Janine tries to smile, but is too scared to do anything else but squeak. Why is her voice cracking so much? And why does it suddenly seem colder? “I’ve done as I promised.”

 

 

“Yes. But there’s one problem. You tried to cheat me. And I am not merciful to those who think they can outsmart me.” Tariq laughs humorlessly, shaking his head in disbelief. “You humans. You are so arrogant, so ambitious. You kind will lie and steal and cheat, then brush it off as simple human nature. All to get what you want.” Tariq spit the name and laughs. “And you call your selves superior. You’re nothing but pawns for me and my kind to use.”

 

He lays Andromeda on the hospital bed. She whimpers as the demon let's go. The room has definitely gotten colder. Janine watches as frost covers the windows and glass, thin ice formations crystallize on metal. Her breath comes out in small white bursts of fog, coming out in pants. A small layer of ice spreads across the floor. Her hand flares with pain, letting go of her only line of defense. The gun is burning cold and she yelps as she clutches her hand.

 

She looks up and Tariq stands in before her looking like the demon king she knows him to be. Heat radiates off his body in waves. It’s searing and toxic, worse than the burn of cold. His black clothes smolder and the smell of smoke assaults her senses. Amber eyes ignite like lava. His hands shoot out and grab her wrists. The skin there sizzles and burns to a crisp. Janine screams, continuing to breathe white air.

 

“I’m going to kill you, Ms. Simmons.” Tariq’s voice stays even and smooth as his grip tightens on her skin. “I’m going to kill you and you’re going to Hell. And once you are there, I will personally tend to your torture. You will be ripped apart, piece by piece, until there is nothing, _nothing_ left. And when that is over, you will reform and go through the excruciating process again. This will happen every day, without rest until I tire or the end of days come. This is your fate. Ms. Simmons. And I never go back on a promise.”

 

The smell of rotting, burning meat reaches the woman’s nose. Everywhere, she can feel her skin wrinkle and split, pus and blood leaking out of the boils that cover her. Her once lush, brown hair grays and thins, the weak strands flaking to the floor. She can’t feel where his hands are anymore, as they have melted through skin and human flesh to get to clean, white bone. Janine opens her mouth to scream one last futile time, but her efforts are stumped by her own tongue, purple and fat, the swollen muscle keeping the air from her lungs.

 

He let’s go of her, watches as she collapses to the floor. The world spins out of control before Janine’s eyes. The last image that she has is the demon holding the child. Her child. Andromeda. The daughter she never wanted, but now as she draws her last breath, now wishes she had gotten to know.

 

Tariq grins down at her- all white teeth and pointed canines. He puts a light kiss to the now sleeping Andromeda. How could the child sleep so soundly when her birth mother writhes and contorts in agony on the hospital floor? The gun lay forgotten next to her, never having a chance of a chance at being fired. The demon’s smile widens and he tips his head to the dying woman. These are the last words she hears before slipping into oblivion. “Goodnight, Ms. Simmons. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”

 

The woman’s decaying eyes roll into the back of her head, swollen red veins popping and scarlet running freely down her face, over her cheeks, into her hair. Sickly yellow pus and crimson blood ruining the paisley hospital gown. Her body twitches until it lies still, only a husk of what was formerly the beautiful and ambitious Janine Simmons.

 

Tariq looks upon his work with a smug expression. He nudges the body aside with his boot. He opens the door, stepping over the dead bodies of the night guards. He creeps away, sticking to the shadows unnoticed. Once outside of the hospital, he wraps the blanket tighter around Andromeda’s small body. His warms her a bit, staving off the bone chilling wind. It’s winter in Chicago; here it’s as cold as Hell is hot. Tariq smiles gently. “Let’s get you somewhere warm, shall we?”

 

He disappears into the dark of night, avoiding the light and becoming the shadow, silent and unseen, like the predator he is.

 

**_Fin._ **

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo how'd you like it? Any thoughts? comment? Concerns?
> 
> I'm actually planning to make a series, a continuation of this maybe. I have them all planned out in detail, as well as the world that the characters live in, but if you have any ideas of how you want it to go I am completely open to your input.
> 
> Please comment to let me know what you think! I'd appreciate your input!
> 
> -Angel


End file.
